Jagveld

Hunting Emma is one of those "surprises" you come across in cinema once in a while. On first inspection this looks like a "I Spit on Your Grave" knock off. Thankfully, its not.

Better yet its a really enjoyable South African flavoured take on the survivalist horror genre. This film works well first and foremost because its story holds together convincingly well.

There's a well thought out back story that explains Emma's ability to take on what would, for most people, be insurmountable odds. This is married up with Emma's other advantage, her superior knowledge of the environment, which her hunters fail to fully appreciate, until its too late.

There is predictably a lot of violence on offer but what's refreshing is its not overstated or gratuitous. Indeed, the emphasis here is on Emma's survival. She does what she does primarily because she wants to live.

The fight scenes in this film are plentiful, polished and sit comfortably alongside decent gun play, which includes a tongue in cheek nod to Spaghetti Western style showdowns.

If you like the idea of survivalist horror but want something "dialled down" then Hunting Emma is for you. 7/10 from me.

I like movies that get you from the start and this is one of them. The tension is kept till the end, even as the story takes a few unlikely turns here and there.

The cinematography is just great and really adds to the story; watching this will put you in that wide and deserted area on a hot summer day. This movie is perfect in its genre.

Though the movieposter itself is a spoiler on what to expect, the movie had its own unique way of keeping the tension throughout the entire film. The storyline is old; nice single person against many bad persons, but the South African spice makes it different than the Hollywood version or the scandinavian for that matter. Afrikaan is the spoken language, and I found myself trying to understand it rather than reading the subtitles. If you like «an underdog» vs «some bad guys» type of movie, and are open to an international interpretation, then you'll like this movie. If you need the constant thrill in Mission impossible and its huge budget to get satisfied, you're better off getting a beer and not watching this film.

The wannabe critics are at it again smh... comparing this film to big budget Hollywood blockbusters with A-list actors.

I will critique this film for what it is... an independent low budget foreign B-grade film with C-list no name actors, a novice writer, and a director who's only experience is a TV series and this film. A well deserved 9/10!

Right from the start, the directing of this film could have not been better. It's far superior than most of the big Hollywood experienced directors have been putting out lately. The close ups, angles, capture moments and scenic shots were outstanding. The cinematography was sheer perfection. The acting by almost all cast members, especially Leandie du Randt, was great. The writing could have been tighter, but still decent. The pacing could have been a little faster, but still good enough to hold my attention throughout the entire film. The length was perfect. I'm not a fan of subtitles, but going in knowing this was a foreign film, the lack of too much dialogue made the subtitles bearable.

Overall this film was a fun ride, produced very well. I recommend this film, and go into it knowing it's a low budget foreign film - and not comparing it to Hollywood blockbusters, and you will enjoy this as much as I did!

Good film with strong characters, good filming for a low budget!